Is douhua / doufuhua 豆腐花 / tofu fa / tofu pudding served & sold in the outer boroughs ?

[teriyakisoz]

I know they sell them at Fong Inn Too & Kong Kee in Manhattan, has anyone come across this dessert in the outer boroughs ?

[Robotron]

I just had a very good version of doufu fa from Kwong Hop Tofu at 8508 Grand Ave, Elmhurst. It's just down the block from Patacon Pisao. They make and sell tofu products to restaurants throughout the city, but they will also sell to people who walk in. Their tofu is very good and cheap. The doufu fa was $1.75 for a quart. They give the sweet syrup on the side. It doesn't get any fresher than that. Both the tofu and the doufu fa was still warm when I got home. Please be aware that the workers there may not speak English.

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Patacon Pisao
85-22 Grand Ave, Queens, NY 11373

[mshenna]

Thank you so much for this -- I've been making the Chinatown run but this is way closer (I'm in Jackson Heights). I know where I'll be tomorrow.

[carfreeinla]

This is new to me- can you explain what it is?

[soupçon]

Doufu hua ("tofu flower") is a very fresh, custardy tofu served in both sweet and savory versions. The sweet version typically has a gingery syrup poured over it, while the savory version is laced with chili oil. Both styles have a number of variations. I don't like the sweet version at all, so I can't give recommendations, but I do love Xi'an Famous Food's chili oil version.

The sweet version is sometimes called "doufu fa" which, I believe, is just the Cantonese pronunciation. The savory version is also known as "doufu nao" (tofu brains) after the texture and appearance.

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Xi'an Famous Foods
41-28 Main St, Queens, NY 11355

[Lau]

doufu fa is just the cantonese pronunciation. dougu nao is actually interchangable with dou hua, i think certain parts of the mainland just call it doufu nao instead of doufu hua (ive had the sweet version from some mainland people who referred to it as doufu nao)

im a big fan of the sweet version, but its kind of easy to mess up b/c they either put way too much of the sweet syrup or they have not such great quality tofu (the latter is generally the problem in NY)

the version at soy bean chan in flushing is the best version I've had in NY, they also have the best soy bean milk in NY hands down. they also have a nice savoury version, prepared quite a bit different than the version at xi'an
http://www.yelp.com/biz/soy-bean-chan...

there is also a place in chinatown that is famous for their tofu on grand between bowery and elizabeth, its sort of a stand, but its actually part of the building. you'll usually notice a fairly long line in front of the place. their tofu is decent quality, but they make it way too sweet, you might want to ask them to make it less sweet

[Chandavkl]

Which makes me wonder if Soy Ben Chen Flower shop selling tofu flower in the front and real flowers in the back is a coincidence. And as carfreeinla may have surmised, the dish is available all over the place--most dim sum restaurants and all Chinese groceries will carry it.

[Lau]

well the owners of soy bean chen actually originally just owned the tofu place, but they saved enough money to open the flower shop, but i think they kept the tofu part open b/c its very popular.

the dish is readily available in almost any dim sum place, but its generally not very good quality

[Chandavkl]

Interesting. So it was just a tofu cart or stand originally? There's a place in SF that sells flowers and boba drinks, but I'm guessing the sequence there was reversed.

[Lau]

it was before my time, but i think it was a stand

[soupçon]

It began with a shopping cart, according to this 2006 New York Times article by Jennifer 8 Lee.

http://is.gd/KaFw3o

[carfreeinla]

Yes indeed! Is the savory version ever prepared without soy sauce? And can I assume that the savory version does not have it?

[Lau]

i think you mean the sweet version of dou hua? no it doesnt have any soy sauce in it

the savory version that i've had usually has some type of chili oil, pickled vegetables, soy sauce and maybe some black beans

[diprey11]

Also, packaged 豆花 can be found in a Asian supermarkets. Of course, quality is not the same as the freshly-made product, but there is a significantly wider variety of flavors

[JMF]

The fresh Dofu Fa at what used to be called Gum Fung was excellent, topped with a great sweet, thin syrup. I have had it at the new Jade Asian about six months ago when I was last there and it was also excellent, but the syrup wasn't as good. It may just have been a bad day or it was too watered down. They come around during dim sum with a special cart with a huge tub of the fresh, hot, ethereally light Dofu Fa; ladle it out for you, then squirt the syrup on top. It's one of my all time favorite deserts of any cuisine.

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Jade Asian
136-28 39th Ave, Queens, NY 11354

[Miss Needle]

I believe I've seen it sold at one of the stalls on 8th Ave in the 50s in Brooklyn. But I don't think they're present all the time.

[soupçon]

Xi'an Famous Foods has the fiery, chili oil laced doufu hua (a. k. a. doufu nao) at their outlets. I think they call it "Chang'an Doufu" or something that.

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Xi'an Famous Foods
41-28 Main St, Queens, NY 11355

[mshenna]

That photo made me drool on my keyboard ...

[buttertart]

I love love love that stuff, one of the top ten most delicious things ever.

[kathryn]

Soy Bean Chen Flower Shop, the combo tofu window and florist at 135-26 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, Queens.

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Soy Bean Chen
135-26 Roosevelt Ave, Queens, NY 11354

[Lau]

kathryn has got this, soy bean chan is better than any of the places in the city

their soy bean milk is very good as well

[kathryn]

Also they are a FLORIST! How can you beat that, really?